Relatively small and inexpensive drilling and milling machines are usually made in a cross table design, that is, two of the three main axes are arranged in the machine table. This design results in a horizontally two-dimensional design of the machine bed for receiving the axes. The linear guides aligned along the machine bed in the two coordinate axes and the linear drives thereof must be protected from chipfall and deposits. This is usually done by what is called telescopic covers made of formed sheet segments which can be pushed on top of each other. A drawback of such telescopic covers is the rather large area that, is covered by traveling, which calls far a corresponding enlargement of the machine cabin and the set-up area for the machine. Due to the necessity of arranging the workpiece table at a user-friendly height and due to the necessary stable design of the machine bed, the covers cannot be arranged at an angle of inclination favorable for the chipfall so the chips stay on the covers during the operation. This results in an early wear of the covers, in particular in the bordering area.
In the case of machines having a cross table design, the top side of the machine bed is usually made in a horizontally two-dimensional fashion to receive the table axes or the linear guides, or both. The discharge chutes provided in the bed, which serve for transporting of the chips, can only have a very small gradient of up to 10° on account of the limited workpiece table height and the necessary height of the machine bed. Complex additional devices for cleaning the respective components from the chips and for removing the chips by rinsing or blowing are not always fully effective and increase the technical effort.